Process for making roadways, railroad-beds, sidewalks, and the like.



M. A. POPKESS.

PROGESS FOR MAKING ROADWAYS, RAILROAD BEDS, SIDEWALKS, AND THE LIKE APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1908 Patented 001;. 28, 1913.

FIG 8. F1 G. 9.

INVENTUR: MIUHQEL.A.POPI'YESS. BY 4 1 A'T'I'D WITNESSES:

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IICHAEL A. POPKESS, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 BITUMINIZED ROAD GOMPANY, or PHOENIX, ARIZONA, A oonroua'riou or ARIZONA.

PROCESS FOR MAKING: ROADW'AYS, RAILROAD-BEDS, SIDEWALKS, AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lllioimiir. A. POPKESS, a citizen of the Unitcdstates, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Making" Roadways, Railrbad-Beds, Sidewalks, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists in a process of surfacing roadways, and its object is to produce an economical, durable, waterproof surface, which shall be to a certain degree malleable, so that it will not c-ack nor disintegrate under traflic. This object is attained by obtaining an intimate admixture or combination of the earthy material, which constitutes the present surface of a majority of roads, with a liquefied asphaltic binder. This result has not hitherto been obtained, as far as I am aware, by the methods used, which consist in harrowing up the surface and then sprinkling it with a binder. The reasons why such methods have not proved satisfactory is because an imperfect admixture only is obtained. The earth, soil or loam, composing the surface of ordinary roadways, contains a large amount of moisture, in other words, is cold and damp, and, consequently, the bituminous hinder, when the sprinkling method is followed, chills and congeals as soon as-it comes into contact with the earthy material, the result of which is to cause it to mix unevenly with said material, so that the resultant surface is more or less tin-uniform, some portions having sufficient or too much binder and other portions having none or too little. In order to obtain a uniform and complete impregnation of the binder, I have discovered that the earthy material must be substantially free from stone, gravel or sand, must be dry and must be prevented from chilling or congealing the binder before it has time to become thoroughly con'uningled.

or combined therewith. To accomplish these objects, I introduce the binder at a point considerably below the actual surface, inmost cases preceding this operation by introducing heat in the same way, a means which I have devised for the purpose being shown in the accompanying drawing, in

. which:

Figure 1, is a central vertical longitudinal section of a part of a machine embody- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 28, 1908.

Patented Oct. 28,1913.

Serial No. 459,956.

ing a plurality of teeth for embedment in the ground and capable for use as mediums for injecting heat or a binder in liquid condition into the ground from a point below the surface thereof. Figs. 2, 3 and 4, rep resent enlarged rear and side views and a central vertical section respectively, of one of the teeth or devices for injecting a heating medium into the ground at a point be+ low the surface thereof. Figs. 5 and 6 are horizontal sections on the line A-A of Figs. 2, 3, and 4, Fig. 5 indicating a section in which the view is upward and Fig.6

a section in which the view is downward. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are views corresponding to Figs. 2, 3, and l, respectively, of the lstruction of tooth for use in injecting a binder in liquid condition into the ground from a point below the surface thereof. Fig. l0, is a section on the line -B-B of Figs. 7, Sand 9.

1 indicates side bars and 2 end bars of a rectangular frame, only one each of the bars 1 and 2 appearing.

3 is a bottom and t a top for said frame,-

which bottom and top in conjunction with the bars, form a casing, and communicating with the chamber of said casing is a pipe 5 to supply thereto a suitable heating medium, such as gas for instance, or a binder in liquid condition.

The bottom is preferably extended forward and upward at its front end atb and at such end is equipped with eye-bars 7, to which one or more horses may be hitched and projecting from the sides of the frame are arms 8 (one only appearing) equipped with a roller 9 to roll on the surface of the ground and prevent the front teeth,

hereinafter referred to, from digging too of the bottom or the base flanges of cross bars 2 (see Fig. 1) to clamp the flanges or enlargements 12 firmly against "the under side of the bottom. The teeth are also provided with threaded studs or bolts 14" equipped with nuts 15 whereby plates 16, fitting in chambers 11 may be clamped firmly therein with a substantially fluidtight relation, at a point about approximately centrally of the tooth so that the side Walls of the latter may project a substantial distance beyond said plates and act as fenders to ward off or hold back the loose earth as the teeth are drawn through it, for a purpose which hereinafter appears, the plates 16 being provided near their lower ends with orihces 17.

In Figs. 7, S and 0, the bolts or stems 13 are shown as and are preferably of greater length and mounted on said bolts and forming a closure for the rear side of the chamber 11 vare plates 18 provided with notches 19 in their opposite edges, these notches forming jct-orifices for a liquid binder.

Assuming that the teeth 10 are of the type shown in Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, they will be supplied with gas under pressure'from the casing and the same will be ignited at jet orifices 17. The machine is then dragged over the ground like a harrow and the teeth will plow through said ground, the flame from the burner orifices impinging upon the ground to raise it to the desired temperature, the walls projecting rearwardly eyond plates 16 "uarding against extinguishment of the ame from the teeth by earth piling directly up against the back of said plates l6 and covering the orifices.

Assuming that the teeth employed are of the type shown in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, and receive binder in liquid condition under pressure from the casing, it will be apparent that such liquid binder will be in elfect sprayed into the loose earth from the oritices l9 and thus become thoroughly intermixed with and incorporated in such earji as the teeth low through the ground in the travel. of the machine.

It will be seen that the bottom 3 of the frame covers the material while it is being mixed with the binder, thereby Keeping it in place and preventing it from cooling too rapidly so as to congeal the binder before it has thorou hly impregnated the material. Natural y, when the material is already dry and notvery cold, the preliminary step of heating it may be omitted.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by' Letters-Patent, is 1 1 l. The process of surfacing roadways and the like, wliich consists in simultaneously harrowing and heatin below the surface the material of the roa way and then injecting a liquid binder into the heated material below the surface thereof.

2. The process of surfacing roadways and the like, which consists in harrowing the material of the roadway, playin heat into the same from points below t 0 surface thereof and injecting a. liquid binder into the same belowithe surface thereof.

3. The process of surfacing roadways and the like, which consists in plowing and smoothing the roadway material,'simultaneously harrowing and playing heat into the same, injecting a liquid binder below the surface of the roadwa and finally smoothing and compressin t e same.

4. The process 0 forming a. waterproof, plastic surface for roadways and the like which coi-sists in injecting a hot, liquefied binder into the earthy material of the roads,

way to be paved at some distance below the surface thereof, while maintaining the m1:

face covered and compressed, whereby the.

heat is retained until an intimate mixture of the earthy material and the binder hll' taken place. 4 t In testimony whereof I atfig my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

, MICHAEL A. POPKESS; Witnesses:

FRANK R. GLOVE, Gnome Y. Tnonrn. 

